Track structure.



No. 774,001. PATENTED NOV. 1, 1904.

L. STEINBERGER.

TRACK STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.15, 190

N0 MODEL.

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A TTOHNE Y3 Patented November 1, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS STEINBERGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRACK STRUCTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,001, dated November1, 1904:.

I Application filed March 15, 1904:. Serial No. 193,206. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS STEINBERGER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in

the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Track Structure, of which the following is' a full, clear, andexact description.

. My invention relates to track structure and admits of general use, butis peculiarly applicable where it is desired to have a rail mountedmovably upon its support.

My invention is of special value in connection with electric railways,and especially as third rails used for the purpose of distributingelectric currents to movable vehicles.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved support with the movablerail mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a vertical central crosssection throughthe same. Fig. '3 is a vertisulating material 12 partially envelope thebolt, as shown, and a portion of this insulating material engages theslot 11 for the purpose of preventing relative movement as be tween'thebolt andthe insulating material. A shell or casing 13 is providedinternally with an annular head 14, disposed above the lower edgethereof, and with an inturned bead 15 of annular form coincident withthe lower edge of the shell. The general form of the shell 13 is that ofa fork, the members 16 of which are separated by a space 18.- Eachmember 16 is preferably made solid, as indicated in Fig. 2, and isprovided with a rotund portion 17, which acts as amechanical 'callongitudinal section through the support bearing-surface. The rail-body19 is provided with a flat or slab like portion 20 integral therewith,this portion being provided with an electric contact-surface 21 and witha mechanical bearing-surface 22, which rests directly upon thepreferably-rotund surface 17 as indicated in Fig. 2. The shell 13 isprovided with portions 23 of the shape shown, these portions slopingdownwardly and outwardly, as indicated in Fig. 3, for the purpose ofenabling the support to shed rain, snow, &c., should any happen to lodgewithin the space 18.

As is well known in railroading, the cross- I ties supporting a rail areoften moved abruptly downward with relation to each other. This tends tocause a separation as between the rail and its support. The constructionabove described allows for this movement, for the reason that any givensupport is free to move vertically in either direction with relation tothe rail. The bearing-surfaces 17, being rounded, are of suitableconformity for the free movement of the rail with the least possiblefriction and will stand rough usage when struck against the under facesof each bearing-surface 22 of the rails by the rebounding action of thedepressed ties.

As is well known to persons skilled in this art, it is necessary to havethe rail movable relatively to its support in order to compensate forthe depressing of the ties, the swaying of the cars, and forthe creep ofthe rails,

due to expansion and contraction by heat andcold. As will be seen fromFig. 2, the rail is quite free to move laterally with relation to itssupport, as indicated by dotted lines. Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, itwill be seen that the rail is also readily movable in the generaldirection of its length.

The pounding action caused by the sudden rising and falling of eachcross-tie is quite destructive both upon a rail and an insulator. Toprovide against the evil effects of this pounding, I make the members 16of solid metal, as above stated, and also make each member preferably ofa general rotund connular beads 14E 15 serving to prevent relative Ymovement as between the shell and the body of insulating material thepounding is rendered ineffectual for the purpose of breaking ormisplacing the body 12 of insulating material or any part thereof. Thecross-section of the rail is substantially T-shaped, the bottom of thecentral web or body portion 19 being rounded throughout the entirelength of the rail, as indicated at 24.

1 do not limitmyself to the particular man- I ner of connecting theinsulating material with the supporting member nor to the particularform of stem nor to the manner of connecting it to the insulatingmaterial nor to the base portion. Neither do 1 limit myself to rotundbearing-surfaces nor to supporting the rail on only the under side ofthe electrical contact portion nor to the particular form of rail hereinshown, as modifications from the above may be made without departingfrom the scope and the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A support for rails, comprising a body portionprovided with oppositely-disposed members projecting upwardly therefromand separated by a moisture-shedding surface, said members havingbearing-surfaces upon their extreme upper ends, for the purpose ofengaging a rail resting thereupon.

2. A support for rails, comprising a metallic shell provided internallywith beads integral therewith, and also provided with bearing-surfacesfor engaging the under side of the contact portion of a rail, a mass ofinsulating material engaged by said shell and said beads for the purposeof holding said mass of insulating material and said shell rigidlytogether, and means for supporting said mass of insulating material.

3. Asupport for rails,comprisinga pedestal provided with a metallicmember projecting upwardly therefrom and provided with an anchorage, amass of insulating material partially enveloping said member andengaging said anchorage, and a metallic member engaging said mass ofinsulating material and provided with upwardly-projecting portionshavingbearing-surfaces upon their respective tops, for the purpose ofengaging mechanical bearing'surfaces upon the under side of the contactportion of a conductor-rail.

4. A support for rails, comprising a pedestal provided with a metallicmember projecting upwardly therefrom, and also provided with a slot, amass of insulating material partially enveloping said member andcompletely filling said slot, and a metallic shell encircling said massof insulating material and supported thereby, said shell being providedwith upwardly projecting members having rounded bearing-surfaces forengaging the under side of the contact portion of a conductor-rail.

A support for rails, comprising upwardlyprojecting members provided withmechanical bearing-surfaces for engaging the under side of the contactportion of a rail, said upwardly projecting members being spaced apartfor the purpose of admitting a portion of said rail to dependtherebctween, said upwardly projecting members being made of solid metalfor the purpose of resisting the pounding action of the same againstsaid rail, and means for supporting said members.

6. A support for rails, comprising a-body portion provided with amutilation and with surfaces disposed within said mutilation andinclined so as to shed water or the like, said body portion beingprovided with mechanical contact-surfaces for engaging the under side ofthe contact portion of a rail and thereby supporting the same.

7. Ina support for rails, the combination of a supporting memberprovided with means for engaging the under side of the contact portionof a rail, and a rail resting thereupon and movable relatively theretoin a lateral direction at right angles to the general length of saidrail.

8. A support for rails, comprising a supporting portion with a pair ofupright members spaced apart and. provided with rotund bearing-surfaces,and a rail member provided with bearing-surfaces engaging saidbearingsurfaces of said upright members, said rail member being furtherprovided with a portion depending in the space between said uprightmembers.

9. A track structure, comprising a supporting member provided withportions separated by a space, and a rail member resting loosely uponsaid portions and provided with a portion projecting into said space.

10. A track-support, comprising a body portion provided with a centralchannel, and with rotund bearing-surfaces disposed upon opposite sidesof said channel, and a rail member loosely engaging said body portionand resting upon said rotund bearing-surfaces so as to be movablerelatively thereto.

1 1. A track structure,comprising a supporting member, and a rail memberresting thereupon and slidable relatively thereto, said rail memberbeing provided with a central portion depending therefrom for engagingsaid supporting member and limiting the sliding movements of said rail.

12. Atrack structure,comprising a supporting member provided withbearing-surfaces, and a rail member provided with bearing-surfacesengaging those of said support so as to allow said rail to sliderelatively thereto, said rail member being further provided with acentrally-disposed member for engaging said support and therebypreventing excess of sliding movement as between said rail member andsaid support.

13. A track structure, comprising a sup porting member provided withbearing-surfaces for engaging the under side of a rail at a pointadjacent to the contact surface thereof, and spaced apart, and a railslidable relatively upon said bearing-surfaces and provided withadepending portion projecting below said bearing-surfaces for limitingthe movements of said rail relatively to said supporting member.

14. A track structure, comprising a supporting member provided with aplurality of bearing-surfaces, and a rail member provided with anelectrical contact portion and with a plurality of bearingsurfacesunderneath and adjacent to said electrical contact portion, saidbearing-surfaces loosely engaging said bearing-surfaces of saidsupporting member, so as to allow freedom of movement at all times asbetween said rail and said supporting member.

15. A track structure, comprising a body portion provided withsupporting members spaced apart and having bearing-surfaces, and a railprovided with bearing-surfaces disposed upon its under side for'engaging said bearing-surfaces of said supporting member, said railbeing further provided with a comparatively heavy portion dependingloosely between said bearing surfaces and free to move laterally fromone of said bearing-surfaces toward the other.

16. In a track structure, the combination of aconductor-support having aplurality of supporting members, and a rail resting slidably upon said.members and having a comparatively small but heavy portion dependingbelow its point of support and intermediate of said supporting members,said last-mentioned portion being adapted to move laterally from one ofsaid members toward the others.

17. In a track structure, the combination of a conductor-support havinga plurality of supporting members, and a rail resting loosely upon saidsupporting members and having its center of gravity below its point ofsupport, said conductor-support being provided with means for permittinga free movement of the rail relatively to said supporting members and ina plurality of directions.

18. Atrack structure, comprisingasupport provided withupwardly-projecting members, and a rail provided with portions dependingbetween said upwardly-projecting members, said rail being provided witha comparatively wide contact portion resting loosely upon saidupwardly-projecting members so as to allow said rail to move laterallyin relation thereto.

In testimony whereof I have subscribed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS STEINBERGER.

Witnesses:

WALTON HARRISON, EVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL.

